Hockey sticks, in their present form, have been employed for use in both street hockey and ice hockey for many years. With the emergence of in-line skates throughout the past decade, the popularity of roller hockey has been on the rise. Like in street hockey, roller hockey is most commonly played with a ball or a puck. However, hockey sticks when forced across a hard cement or paved surface when playing hockey create friction and often erode the blade. In addition, the blade often catches on discontinuities in the hard cement or paved surface. When playing ice hockey, the stick blade glides freely on the ice surface with little resistance. The desire to reduce drag specifically associated with the use of hockey sticks in both street and roller hockey is the focus of this invention. Limitations of the prior art encompass difficulties in terms of erosion of present day hockey stick blades and the friction associated with the use of these blades when playing both street hockey and roller hockey. It is a key feature of the present invention to facilitate a balance between outdoor in-line skates and sticks and ice hockey as it is known today. It is the intention of this invention to improve the movement of the hockey stick blade in dry land situations, most commonly street hockey and roller hockey.
A hockey stick blade for roller or street hockey in keeping with the present invention avoids the previously described limitations of the prior art. A hockey stick blade for roller or street hockey in keeping with the present invention comprises a toe end, a heel end, a top edge, a bottom edge, a set of identical ball bearings, a set of identical sockets, at least one opening, and a shaft portion. Each respective identical ball bearing is captured by one of each respective identical sockets and is built into the bottom edge of the hockey stick blade. The bottom edge of the hockey stick blade is split into two portions so as to accommodate the mounting of each respective identical ball bearing together with each respective identical socket on the bottom edge. The split along the bottom edge of the hockey stick blade is re-fastened typically by adhesive followed by heat and compression. Each of the ball bearings and their respective sockets are spaced along the length of the blade starting at the toe end working toward heel end. The opening formed through the thickness of the blade projects a distance above the uppermost surface of each of the identical ball bearings so as to allow the unencumbered rotation through 360 degrees in every direction, of each of the identical ball bearings. The opening is symmetric about its respective longitudinal axis extending from the toe end to the heel end of the hockey stick blade. The shaft portion is suitably connected through fasteners, bolts, screws or other suitable means to the heel end of the hockey stick blade and is adapted for fitment on the handle portion of a hockey stick. When such a blade is assembled to the handle portion of a hockey stick, the stick no longer need be carried while running or skating across a hard surface, instead it will pass freely over the cement or paved surface. Each of roller hockey and street hockey are particularly suited for the use of such a hockey stick blade so as to allow the free movement of the hockey stick across the cement or paved surface as well as increasing the opportunity for contact with the ball or puck in play.